Zoe's POV
The next day I woke up before William, so I cooked something for us. I was in the kitchen when I heard footsteps coming downstairs.
"F**k..." He entered the kitchen, rubbing his face.
"I got you some aspirin," I said. He jolted back in surprise and blinked at me, then his eyes widened.
"What are you doing here?" He groaned.
"Why don't you sit down, then we'll talk." I gestured towards the medicine and water on the table.
"Thanks." He muttered, sitting on a stool and took the medicine.
"Feeling better?" I asked, and he shook his head. "Do you remember our chat last night?" I carefully asked.
He sat there staring at particularly nothing in deep thoughts.
"Yeah. I remember." I sighed in relief when he responded. "Next time..." I tensed when he continued. "We'll talk when I'm not wasted."
"Alright." I gave him a cheeky grin. He nodded, then I placed his breakfast in front of him. "Here. I made you breakfast."
He looked at the egg, beacon, and little burned toast.
"You know how to cook?" He asked darting his eyes between the meal and me.
"No... but I know how to fry eggs," I smirked. He inspected the food, then shrugged and put the egg in his mouth. "Okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's edible." He said in a monotone.
My heart fell, but when the corner of his mouth twisted, I knew he was joking. Grinning, I took a seat in front of him and ate mine. Dad entered the kitchen yawning and rubbed his eyes as he stepped in front of the refrigerator.
"Morning kids."
"Morning Dad." William and replied simultaneously.
Dad halted and glanced over at the fridge door. His wide eyes darted between me and William eating our breakfast peacefully.
"Y-You are both eating breakfast... together."
"Yes, Dad. What's so surprising about it?" William rolled his eyes.
"B-but..."
"Come here, Dad. I made you breakfast too." I patted the seat beside me and tried to control my laugh at his reaction.
"Ok..." He narrowed his eyes at us and sat on the stool.
"I'm done," William announced, getting up. "Thank you for the breakfast, Zoe." He smiled and left.
"Is he sick or something?" Dad gaped, watching William leave.
"We had a pretty friendly chat last night." I giggled.
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At school, everyone gossiped about William and his friends getting expelled, but they were shocked to see them in school. Rumors floated William lost his cool over Stella and kicked Harry's a**.
As for Griffin, he was acting weird lately. It felt like he was constantly flirting with me, which made me confused. I thought he didn't like me like that and now he gazed at me like I'm the only girl in this world.
The next few days went like this. Everyone was glad to see William and I talking and teasing each other like siblings. It was like in a flick of fingers everything changed and I was so happy, yet I wasn't.
Because I had to leave on Friday. I still told no one and was having fun, so I kept it to myself. I watched William practicing for his trials with his team.
He is so passionate about this and I want him to do his best and get into his dream college. What could be better than that?
Days went by like that, and it was Thursday. Only one day left for my birthday. I thought of telling Dad and William about this first, so before school; I went there.
"I'll wait for you," Bob said as I got out of the car.
Standing in front of it, I felt the same way when I came here first. I took a deep breath and was about to knock, but stopped when I noticed the door was already open. Frowning, I went inside and heard shouting from the kitchen. I quietly went there and saw William and dad arguing.
"Yes. William, she has to leave tomorrow. Her mom called me yesterday and told me about her deal with Zoe." I groaned.
Why does mom have to call Dad?!
"And you'll let her go?!" William shouted. "I'm getting to know her dad. I made her time here miserable and I want to make up for it, so call her mother and tell her she's not coming." He protested.
I pressed my lower lips between my teeth, stopping the stupid grin from taking over my face. It made my heart so warm that William wants me to stay. I was internally freaking out.
"I can't do that."
"Yes, you can. She's your daughter!" William growled.
"It's important for her future." Dad sighed, getting irritated.
"So she can fulfill her mother's dream? Be realistic here, Dad. Zoe can do whatever she wants to. It's her choice, not yours or her mother's."
"You don't get it, William. It's for the better."
"How can you be like this? Don't you want her here with you?" He argued.
"I can't keep her with me forever-"
"You can!"
"No, I can't! I can't ruin it for her as I did with your mother!" He blurted, making me freeze.
"What do you mean by that?" Everything went silent after that until William shouted. "Answer me!"
"I ruined it, okay?! I cheated on your mother with Maria and that's why she died." He snapped.
No, this can't be true. They said-
"Yo-you said it was after she died." William stuttered.
"I was having an affair with Maria and your mother found out about it. She left us that night to go to her parent's house when she got in an accident." His voice got thick as he continued. "Then I found Maria was pregnant, and she wanted to get an abortion. I felt guilty for what I did to your mother, so I thought that helping the baby will-"
"Will make your guilt lessen." William finished in disbelief. "Do you even love Zoe as your daughter? Or you're just doing it because you feel guilty?"
Please say something, Dad, please tell him you love me.
But he kept silent.
"You're a pathetic dad." William snarled and ran upstairs.
I quietly got out of the house, still processing what happened, when Bob asked. "Ready?"
"William is going to drive me to school today." I lied.
"You sure?" He looked at me skeptically.
"Yes." I gave him the best smile I could.
He nodded, and I watched him drive away. When he was gone, I glanced back at the house and began walking In the opposite direction.
I am not needed here.
Dad never loved me, and mom lied to me about it.
Maybe I should leave for France, away from all this drama. But before that, I needed to visit one more place here, and I strode towards it.
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Griffin's POV
On Thursday, I sat in the cafeteria with anxious Will beside me. He kept bouncing his legs, making me irritated.
"Dude, stop it." I snapped, "You're giving me anxiety."
"Where is she...?" He ignored me and kept staring at the cafeteria gate.
"Why are you so impatient?" I asked him for the nth time.
"What's going on with you?" Eric came, looking curiously at Will.
"Have you seen Zoe?" Will inquired.
"No. Why?" He asked, but Will ignored him and darted his eyes back to the door.
Eric raised his brows at me, and I shrugged. After a while, I felt Will getting tensed beside me. I looked at him and saw him staring at something behind me.
"Hey, guys." I turned and saw Gecil standing.
"Are you here to scold me again?" Will asked, shrinking in his seat. Eric and I snickered at his reaction while Gecil rolled her eyes.
"No. I'm here to ask about Zoe." I frowned and looked between them.
"What's going on with Zoe?" I questioned.
I was so disappointed when we hugged at the party. I was the one who always backed out thinking that she got a boyfriend, but when I finally tried to kiss her, she hugged me instead. It was like in our destiny to get in a situation like that, then one of us backed out.
Since then I tried to give her hints that I'm interested in her, but she stared at me in confusion whenever I tried to flirt. It was getting awkward for me but I will not give up easily.
"What about her?" Eric asked, getting me out of my thoughts.
"She hasn't come today, and she's not picking up my phone either, so I just wanted to make sure that she's okay?" She asked.
"She didn't come to school?" Will looked at her bug-eyed.
"That's what she said. Will you tell me what's going on?!" I yelled in frustration.
"She's leaving tomorrow." He whispered.
"Leaving?" I frowned.
"California."
"What?!" I jolted up from my seat. "She-she can't leave!"
"If she's leaving tomorrow, where is she now?" Gecil asked, looking between us.
"I don't know," Will replied, covering his face with his hands.
"I'm calling Bob," Gecil said, taking his phone out.
"What's going on here?" I turned and saw Stella, Evelyn, and Liam.
"Zoe's missing." Eric blurted.
"What?!" they yelled.
"Okay, bye." Gecil ended her call and narrowed her eyes at Will. "Where is she, William?"
"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.
"Bob said that Zoe told him you'll drop her school when she came to your house this morning." She fumed.
"She never came to our house today," Will frowned.
"Why would she lie to Bob?" She raised her brows.
"I don't know. I was arguing with dad a-" He mid paused and then his eyes widened.
"What Will?" I urged him to answer.
"She must have heard him." He whispered and told about his argument with his dad.
"We need to find her," Stella said.
"She doesn't know a lot of places here. So we'll search the places she went with us." Will said, and we nodded, walking out of the school.
After hours of searching for Zoe, we got nothing. William went to the bar she was at last time but found nothing.
Where are you, Zoe?
I ran my head for the likely places she could be. We searched almost half of the town, but there was no trace of Zoe.
Sighing, I kicked my bike to start, and an idea came to my mind. It was a long shot, but I needed to make sure, so I drove out of town as fast as I could.
I kicked my bike again when my mind clicked. I drove my bike as fast as I could and went outside of town.
She must be in the fields. She wanted to go there so badly and I promised her I would take her.
Please be there, Zoe. I'm coming.
✶ ✶ ✶
I parked my bike near a tree and ran towards the fields, yelling her name. Even though I'd never come here before, the place looked familiar.
The flowers almost reached my shoulder, so I pushed them, searching for her as I yelled her name.
"Griffin?!" I paused when I heard a sweet, familiar voice.
"Where are you, Zoe?!"
"I'm over here." I saw her hands waving as she bounced.
"I'm coming!" I pushed the flowers and saw her standing with her back facing me and I freeze.
Deja vu.
My mind clicked, and I remembered a dream I saw. The same flower field and the dark-haired girl standing in front of me. Zoe turned around and her blue eyes met mine.
She was the girl in my dream.
"Griffin." She whispered, looking at me in disbelief, and I jogged towards her. "What are you-?" I cut her off by pulling her into a tight hug.
"Do have any idea how worried you made us?!"
In my dream, she was far from me and I couldn't reach her, but now that she's with me, I'm never letting her go.
"Us?" she whispered.
"Yes, us." I let go of her and looked at her and frowned face. "Me, Will, Gecil, Bob, Stella, Eric, Evelyn, Liam, and your dad." I named everyone. "All of us."
Tears built in her eyes and she bit her lip, trying to stop the sob.
"I-I..." She fell to her knees and cried, covering her face.
"Shh. It's okay." I whispered and bent beside her, rubbing her back.
"I-I am sorry to make you guys w-worried. I didn't realize anyone would e-even care." She sobbed.
"Hey..." I said softly and pulled her close. "Why wouldn't anyone care? You're our friend, right?"
She sniffed and glanced at me. I didn't notice it before, but her eyes were swollen and red. She must have been crying here alone.
"Everyone has been looking for you all day." Her eyes went round, and I continued. "We all care about you, Zoe. You make it hard for us not to."
"Griffin..." I wiped her cheeks.
"First, I'll text everyone and let them know you're alright and then we'll talk." She nodded.
I took my phone out and message everyone that she was fine and I'll bring her back. I glimpsed back at Zoe and saw her laying on the grass staring at the sky. I laid beside her and kept my head straight.
"This place is beautiful," I turned my head towards her. She was already staring at me.
"How did you know I'd be here?"
"You said you wanted to come, so I thought about it and tried my luck," I answered, boring my eyes into hers.
She sniffed, then turned her head at the sky again. "My-"
"My mom left me when I was thirteen." I cut her off. She turned her towards me again, but this time I looked at the sky and the white clouds floating over us.
"She left without saying a word to us. I-I thought maybe it was because of me. Maybe I wasn't a wonderful son to her. She had to leave me and dad. It was depressing for me and after a few months, I took the wrong turn." I paused.
Then I felt Zoe's little fingers wrapping around mine. I interlocked our fingers and squeezed her hand.
"I-I started smoking and drinking. I found a group of high schoolers that did drugs and mingled with them. When Will found out about it, he tried to stop me. We fought all the time but he wouldn't give up saying he won't let me hurt myself. He made me realize it wasn't my fault she left us and said it was her fault."
I chuckled lightly. "I know it may sound gay, but I love him. He helped me out a lot."
I didn't dare look at Zoe. From the corner of my eye, I saw her moving close to me. She laid her head on my arm, wrapping herself around me.
"Thank you. For telling me that." She whispered. Her breath on my neck made me shiver. "I know this is inappropriate to say, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt lost."
"Glad to know that you think we're the same." I smiled, and we lay there peacefully.
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